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Ash nodded. “This is Li Na’s team. The FBI confirmed it from our pictures—these men are mercenaries. They often take international clients and sometimes do contract work for organized crime.”
“Okay.” If his words were meant to calm me, they didn’t. I could only think about my sister and watch for her on the screens.
“Whatever happens this morning, the other team will be waiting for you in San Francisco. Levi will be there too, to personally attend the closing with you. No matter what, you need to be in that office in San Francisco at two o’clock. We want Li Na to think everything’s on track. If we can intercept Hannah on the way to the closing, it’s incredibly important to get her back to Gabe’s right away. She needs to be someplace secure in case they decide to come after us and attack. Do you understand?”
I licked lips suddenly gone dry with fear. “Yes.”
“I’ll meet you at the law firm—if we get all the guards when they come out, Li Na might not be clued in on what’s happening. At least, not right away.”
I knew Ash probably meant “shoot” when he said “get” the guards—it made me feel dizzy.
I could hear Gabe even though I couldn’t see him. “I’m coming to San Francisco too.”
“No,” Ash and I said in unison. Ash jutted his chin at his brother. “You’re on point with the team we’ve assigned to Hannah. You’ll need to get her back to the house quickly. Let Levi and me handle the closing—let’s circle the wagons and finish this the right way. We’ll leave the rest of the crew behind to coordinate with the FBI, deal with the fallout at the scene and also with the local authorities.”
Ash turned back to me. “Do you have someone you can call to arrange medical care for Hannah at the house?”
Having allowed myself a small spark of hope, I’d already thought of that. “I just texted Gabe the name and number of the general practitioner Hannah and I both see. She promised to make a house call this afternoon, if we’re…lucky enough to need her.”
Dr. Lourdes Fisher had been our doctor since relocating to California. She was thorough, kind, and compassionate. After I filled her in on Hannah’s situation, she said she’d come prepared with an IV and antibiotics.
“Gabe.” His face appeared on the screen. “You need to get in touch with Dr. Fisher as soon as you’re on your way home—she’ll be expecting the call. I just texted you her number.”
“Got it. I’ll take care of Hannah, I promise.”
No one spoke after that. Even via Skype, I could feel the tense silence that descended upon the group. I couldn’t focus on anything but the clock and the screens. Gabe positioned his computer perfectly so I could keep monitoring the security videos. Nothing changed on the screens. No one left the building where Hannah was being kept, and no one entered. I started to pace. An hour passed.
I kept pacing. I kept watching the screens.
Every minute passed like an hour. My heart thudded as though I was struggling to finish a marathon. I wondered where Hannah was exactly, what she was doing right now, and if she was okay. I wondered if the guards had done anything to her since the botched exchange…worse than drugging her, and the bruise I’d seen on her face.
As the morning stretched on, Ash and the rest of the team continued to calmly monitor the situation, intermittently tapping out texts. Timmy stood in my kitchen, his weapon at the ready, and frequently checked the perimeter of the house. Everyone was tense, but everyone was keeping busy.
I kept busy pacing.
I took a few calls from Bethany, who’d pulled together all the final details for our meeting that afternoon. I went through a backlog of emails and cleaned out my inbox. But the phone calls and busy work weren’t enough to occupy me, so I reorganized the items in the refrigerator, and then re-arranged all of Gabe’s glassware by height.
Then I paced some more. Finally, we were getting closer to the afternoon, my anxiety ratcheting up to a fever pitch.
“We need to get out there. They’ll be leaving soon if they’re going to make it in time,” Ash suddenly announced. He looked at the screen. “Lauren, watch the clock. You need to leave for the closing shortly. Remember, the timing’s crucial.”
I nodded, my heart pounding. “Got it. Good luck.” I double-checked to make sure my bag and paperwork were ready to go.
I turned back to the screen, watching as several of the men checked their weapons. “Gabe, you’re with me,” I heard Ash say. “William, you take the team that’s out there. Tell them to get ready.”
“Got it.” I heard Gabe, but I couldn’t see him.
That stopped my pacing dead in its tracks. “Gabe? Gabe!” I shouted, until he put his face near the screen. “You’
re not going with them—”
“Babe.” Gabe’s voice was firm. “This is not your call. They need the help because they’re running more than one team, and I’m happy to do it. I’m here to help protect my family.”
The floor spun beneath my feet. “I think your family’s good. They have years of experience and automatic weapons, for Christ’s sake.”
His eyes flashed. “I meant Hannah.”
Before I could fully comprehend what he was doing—and yell at him, beg him to stay, anything—he hustled from view. That left me with only Timmy, the Skype feed of the remaining surveillance crew…and what felt like an ice pick in my heart. Gabe had just blindsided me.
